The Tri Tip roast is referred to by other names in different areas of the country. I found a website that lists a bunch of the steak names...scroll down to #4, Sirloin. Providing your butcher with that information might help. I have also heard a Tri Tip referred to as a Triangle Roast. It's not as though cattle in other States don't have the same muscles, lol, so it's simply a matter of getting the butcher to understand what it is you're looking for. I don't know about pricing in other areas, but here I can generally get them for under $3 per pound, untrimmed...sometimes as low as $2.50. I prefer them untrimmed because it is a lean cut, and why lard/oil/baste if I can get it with it's own layer of fat to do the work for me!! Some recipes on the web claim that the cut gets tough if cooked to med or well, but I have had it many times both ways (even if I prefer my beef mooing) and that is not the case. The only time I have had Tri Tip really tough is when it has been carved by someone who didn't know what he was doing. It is absolutely essential that it be sliced across the grain, and thin slices are better than thick. As I said, it isn't as tender as a Filet Mignon or Prime Rib, but it certainly isn't "tough" as long as it is carved properly. Another Central Valley staple is the bbq Tri Tip sandwich. Thinly sliced Tri Tip (freshly cooked or leftover) slathered with your favorite smoky barbecue sauce in a bun. Mmmmmmmm. Here is a link that might be useful: Tri Tip names

I always take small meat portions to the table for the same reason. My husband has started to appreciate it knowing he would over-eat if right in front of him. I just started using the vintage meat slicer my FIL gave us years ago. (he picked it up at a thrift store) and it has been on my garage donation shelf forever. Works like a charm! I've been grilling 'london broil' this spring and really needs very thin slices for left-over sandwiches. (though last nights was a disaster...dry shoe leather, even thin it was not so great...and thought i cooked it the same but probably not a hot enough fire to start) I should try a roast beast now that i have, or now using, a slicer...and will definitely use the meat thermometer probe!

The model you referenced is almost identical to the first slicer I got, which is a Waring Pro. The only difference I can see between those two is that yours is 150 watts, and the WP is 130 watts. Both have serrated blades and are easily disassembled for cleaning, and so the good news is that yours will be very easy to clean. The bad news is that it has limited power and therefore will be slower than the more powerful models that cost 3 times as much. Yours will do fine for slicing meat, but it will be a bit difficult to adjust the thickness, as that is controlled by a lever instead of a dial. It can be adjusted to what you like, but it will take a bit of effort. It is not powerful enough to slice hard cheese, but it does an excellent job with vegetables, especially bell peppers, which I like to slice thinly for sandwiches, and also for pickles, which I slice on it longways. When you adjust it to the widest setting, it is perfect for slicing sandwich bread, and I have kept my old Waring specifically for this purpose. I cannot slice bread on the Avantco because the motor is in the way, and there is nowhere for the sliced bread to go. If I have it out, I also use it on the pickles and bell pepper. I really like using it with vegetables. I was never able to get mine to slice paper-thin salami, but that was really the only disappointment. To get paper-thin slices, you will need a machine that has a dial adjustment instead of a lever - it is not an issue of power in this case.

Sheilajoyce, I'm always looking for a good recipe, so I'd love that one for the ribs. PM, I'm not liking it at all, but I feel guilty when I eat something like homemade bread or potatoes, knowing how much Elery likes them. He doesn't expect me to give them up, but I don't make things like a loaf of bread or a batch of rice just for me so that pretty effectively makes me low carb by default. Ugh, it's horrible. I do have that one slice of toast in the morning and I'm not going to give that up, or I'd just quit breakfast altogether. Annie